Austin, Texas, high school builds outdoor stage so theater students can put on a show

“Originally, I was thinking about a tennis court or a baseball field,” Denning says.

Instead, he decided to build an outdoor stage on campus. The stage took a week to build and cost $35,000; parents were able to raise the funds so their kids could perform.

There will be restrictions; the audience has to stay socially distant. Markers will keep individuals and family groups six feet apart, and temperatures will be taken for anyone attending.

“It is starting to feel like the old theater I remember,” says student Bobbie Currie.

Denning says the students will be using some clear masks that universities use in their theater program.

It will be a different experience, but students say they are happy for the opportunity.

The school was hoping to have eight performances of Urinetown, but because of the winter storm that socked Texas last month, they’ll have only four.

The next performance held on the outdoor stage will be “Clue” starting April 22.

The outdoor stage sits on the east side of campus and offers plenty of space to spread out.

“They found funding, they found grants and they did all of this while we were teaching,” Denning says.